In this specification where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge; or known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.
While the following specification is directed to sterilisation of pacifiers or teats, the skilled person will appreciate that the invention is not so limited but includes other types of oral appliances such as mouthguards, orthodontic retainers and dentures.
Ultraviolet (UV) light refers to all electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the range of 10 to 400 nanometres, or frequencies from 7.5E14 to 3E16 Hz. UV light is often used for sterilisation both in large scale industrial applications and in smaller, commercial and domestic applications. It is particularly effective for control of microorganisms such as bacteria, moulds, fungi and viruses which are readily made airborne and settle on exposed surfaces where they rapidly multiply.
In order to inactivate or kill microorganisms, UV light must actually strike the microorganism. UV energy penetrates the outer cell membrane, passes through the cell body, and disrupts its DNA, preventing reproduction of the microorganism. Depending on its wavelength, UV light may also interact with oxygen and other species to create ozone, a radical molecule that attacks and destroys microorganisms, and in the process breaks down to harmless oxygen.
In domestic applications UV has been used in applications such as toothbrush sterilisation. For example the Orasafe™ toothbrush sterilizer uses a UV/ozone lamp to eliminate up to 99.99% of germs from toothbrushes, which helps to address problems such as tooth decay, gum disease and halitosis. The Orasafe™ device comprises a rectangular, hinged lid box into which a toothbrush is placed with the bristles adjacent a UV lamp. The UV lamp is activated by closing the hinged lid. The UV lamp emits a specific range of UV radiation which kills the microorganisms or damages their DNA so that they cannot reproduce.
UV has also been used to sterilise pacifiers and teats. A pacifier (as it is called in the USA) is also known as a ‘dummy’ in the UK, New Zealand and Australia or a ‘soother’ in Canada and Ireland and consists of a rubber or plastic nipple that is given to an infant or young child to suck upon. A teat is a rubber or plastic nipples that are attached to bottles for feeding babies.
Korean company Esenscia provides the ‘Pacifier Steriliser™’ product which comprises a small essentially rectangular container having a hinged door which encloses a space in which pacifier can be located. The UV source is activated by a switch.
The Orasafe™ ‘portable teat steriliser’ is a UV device that can be attached to a feeding bottle. By turning a switch on the steriliser the UV source is activated, and automatically turns off in approximately 5 minutes after sterilisation is complete. The pacifier has a mostly transparent body.
In another pacifier steriliser product, The Ultra-Clean Pacifier Sterilizer from UV Solutions comprises a container into which the pacifier is fitted until it ‘clicks into place’ to close off one end of the sterilizer.
Some of the UV sterilisers of the prior art suffer from drawbacks such as the potential for the dummy or steriliser to fall or be knocked out of the device during use. Furthermore many dummy sterilisers of the prior art are not sufficiently robust to be tossed into a handbag or tote bag whilst in use.